by Elle Boon
“Sarah’s in labor. Her water broke an hour ago. Some first pregnancies can take up to twenty-four hours. Between you and me, I don’t think it’s going to take that long, though.” A woman who sounded like Sarah rambled through the phone, making his wolf alert.
Arynn looked around the garage, motioning Wyck over. “I gotta go. Sarah’s in labor.” He’d told his alpha and the rest of the pack about the night he’d gotten Sarah pregnant. They’d all been shocked as they’d thought they could only get their mates pregnant. Hell, he still wasn’t sure how it had happened. No matter, his child was on her way into the world and he’d be there.
“I’ll come with you,” Wyck offered.
He nodded, glad his friend was willing to come along. His hands shook as he washed them clean of the grease they were covered in. Staring down, he thought of how different they’d look holding a tiny little girl. “Shit, man, I need to shower before I go see my kid be born.”
Wyck slapped him on the back. “Go take a quick one. I’ll let Kellen know we’re heading down to see your kid enter the world.”
With a nod, he left the shop and practically ran to the apartments located at the back of the club. Using more soap than he did in a week, he washed every bit of dirt and grime from his hands and under his nails, making sure nothing but clean skin showed. Once he was as clean as possible, he quickly dried and dressed in a pair of jeans and a button-down shirt. His black motorcycle boots were worth more than most men’s best dress shoes, but he was sure Sarah would hate them. “Fuck, why am I acting like a pussy?” Grabbing up his leather jacket, not the one with his club colors or patches, but a plain black one, he swiped up his wallet and keys and headed back out.
“You good?” Kellen asked as he walked out of the stairway.
Arynn nodded. “Yeah, nervous, but good.”
Kellen folded his arms across his chest. “Listen, man, I can’t tell you what to do, but remember, you’re worth ten times more than she is. Don’t let her try to make you feel less than.”
He gritted his teeth, feeling a throb behind his eyes. “I know, but you don’t know how it feels to have a woman carry your young, yet not want a fucking thing to do with you.”
“You’re right, and I’m sorry she’s a bitch who doesn’t know any better. Just remember, you’ve got all of us who do know your worth. If you need me, I’m a link away.” Kellen tapped his temple, before pulling Arynn in for a bone crushing hug. “Don’t fucking try and block me, boy, or I’ll come down there and beat your ass and tear that fucking town apart. You don’t want a pissed off alpha running wild while your kid squirms her way into this world.”
He laughed at Kellen’s words. “I love how you put it. I’ll remind your mate, when you get one, that you think childbirth is as easy as that.”
Kellen shrugged. “It’ll be many years before that’ll happen, and when I do find a mate, she’ll be an obedient female who’ll be more than happy to carry my offspring.”
Arynn raised his hand in farewell and jogged to his truck. Goddess, the thought of holding his daughter had him wishing he could blink his way there like magic.
Wyck demanded he drive since Arynn’s hands shook as he tried to insert the keys into the ignition. The drive down took less than it ever had, thanks to his friend’s heavy foot and ability to sense when he should ease up. If he’d not been in such turmoil, Arynn was sure he’d have been interested in finding out how Wyck accomplished such a task and tried to mimic it himself.
Before the truck came to a full stop, he had the door open and was hopping out. Wyck cursed behind him, making him look back. Arynn had no delusions that Sarah was his anymore, not once had his wolf snarled to find its mate after hearing she was pregnant, but their child was another matter altogether. Human or not, Sarah wasn’t keeping him from his child.
“Can I help you, sir?”
The question had him drawing up short, looking down at the nurse who appeared ready to physically stop him from going any further. He made sure he was in the proper place, then pasted on his friendliest smile. “Hi, my daughter is being born.” Pride had him puffing out his chest as he said the words.
A deep sigh behind him made him wince. “What my friend here is trying to ask is, where is Sarah Barnes? He’s her child’s father and was informed a few hours ago she was in labor. I believe if you contact her or her sister, they’ll confirm this information for you.”
The nurse nodded but stepped behind her desk and picked up the phone, giving Arynn a chance to take in his surroundings. Even if she’d not stopped him, he would’ve had to break through what looked like locked doors of some sort. He assumed they were security for the patients’ safety, both the newborn and the ones who delivered them. Of course, being a shifter, he could break through them with no problem, unless they were made of silver, which he was sure they weren’t. Fuck! He scrubbed his hand down his face, glad he’d had the presence to properly clean himself before coming down. Looking at his hands, he wondered what a small child would feel like nestled in his palms.
“Alright, you can go in. There’s a waiting room for guests near Mrs. Bradshaw’s room you can wait in.”
Arynn opened his mouth to correct her when Wyck ushered him through the now open door. “What the hell? We’re not here to see a Mrs. Bradshaw.”
Wyck steered them toward the room they were told to go to, then pressed him to sit in one of the chairs. “I’m gonna need you to stay level, man. Not sure where your head was at back there, but while you were looking off like you were counting stars or some shit, I was listening to her conversation with a chick named Sheila. Seems your baby mama got married in the last 8 months. When’s the last time you spoke to her?”
The air thickened, making Arynn think he was going to pass out, or as if something big were coming toward them. He jumped up, putting himself between Wyck and the door. “Are you kidding me? I tried to keep in contact, but she shut me out, blocked my cell. Finally, I had to go through her sister via email to get updates. I’ve gotten pictures of the sonogram and monthly updates from her visits to the doctor. That’s it. Sarah wants nothing to do with me, and I’m fine with that. My kid, on the other hand, is a whole other ball game.”
The entryway was suddenly filled with an older version of Sarah. “Excuse me, you must be the child’s biological father. I’m Sarah’s mother Susan. She’s asked me to speak with you. May I have a moment alone with you?”
Wyck moved next to him, taking up more space than he’d ever done as if his wolf was snarling to prove its dominance. “I’ll have to say no to your inquiry, ma’am. Now, what’s this about?”
The woman named Susan tilted her head. Power pulsed at he and Wyck, her eyes widened with a look like calculation. “Well, isn’t this interesting. What are you two?”
The question caught him off guard, but instead of answering, he folded his arms across his chest. “Listen, I just want to be here for my child.”
Susan’s eyes narrowed. “That’s what I’m here to tell you. Sarah doesn’t want or need you to mess up her life. She finally got Dan to forgive her for her transgression with you. Although, I can now understand why she was so taken, but I digress. For the happiness and well being of both mother and child, you need to understand Sarah and Rebel will be better off with the Bradshaw’s, than with the likes of you.” Her eyes went up and down him, a slight lift of her lip let him know she found him lacking.
Wyck growled, the sound almost that of his wolf. Arynn put his hand on his friend’s arm, taking on the other man’s distress to lessen the impact on him. “I want to see my child, Susan. I suggest you take your fancy ass back and make it happen. I won’t be just walking away as if I had nothing to do with the creation of Rebel.” He heard the pride in his voice as he spoke the little girl’s name for the first time. He’d sent Sheila a list in one of their texts, telling her how much he loved the name Rebel. He didn’t know how she’d convinced Sarah to name the baby his preferred one, but he wasn’t going to let this w
oman know how much it meant to him.
“If you see she’s just like my Sarah, and nothing like you, will you allow her to be raised in a loving family instead of split between you and her mother and...Dan, the one she should be calling dad?”
Arynn wondered what the woman meant. Did she think that Rebel wouldn’t be like him? He knew she sensed he and Wyck were not quite human and knew he should be alarmed at that knowledge. However, he had no doubt his child would be like him. Never had a shifter not created a shifter child. Rebel belonged with him.
Nodding, he gritted his teeth before speaking. “If Rebel is nothing like me, then I’ll agree to allow her to be raised by her mother if,” he paused when Susan smiled. “Only if I’m kept informed of her needs and wants throughout the years. Now, if she’s like me, I’ll expect you to afford me the same courtesy.”
“Meaning, you’ll take Rebel with you and leave Sarah without her child?” Susan snarled.
“Goddess no. I’d never take a child from their mother. What I mean is I’ll want to be a part of every aspect of Rebel’s life, like a father should be. No, I don’t want to be with Sarah, but I will be active in my daughter’s world.” He shuddered thinking of actually being with the other woman again. Not that it hadn’t been a pleasurable experience, it had been, but he’d been more than happy to never repeat it again.
The woman gave a nod then spun on her high heeled shoes, the red bottom of the stilettos had him raising his brows. “Shit, I feel like I just made a deal with the devil himself. Only this devil is a female who wears Louis V’s.”
Wyck punched him in the arm. “The fact you know what brand shoe she wore freaks me out. I’m thinking your man card needs to be revoked.”
Arynn shoved Wyck, a grin kicked up his lips. “The reason I know the brand is because I’ve had more than my fair share wrapped around me in my thirty plus years on earth, asshole.”
His friend sobered. “I can’t believe she was only nineteen. Bro, she looked so much older.”
Before he could agree, a nurse was there with a look of panic on her face. “I’m looking for a Mr. Dunn,” she said.
“That would be me,” Arynn said as he moved forward, worry lacing his tone.
“Mrs. Barnes has instructed me to take you to the nursery to see Mrs. Bradshaw’s child. Please follow me.”
“I just realized the name of the hospital and the name of your baby mama’s family is one and the same.” Wyck’s announcement had Arynn frowning as he kept pace with the young nurse. Surely, the similarities were only a coincidence.
“Follow me, gentlemen.”
They went down a hall and past a wall of windows that had several small baby beds with infants lying in them. He wanted to stop and find the one marked Rebel but didn’t want to lose the nurse in the myriad of hallways. She swiped her badge over a pad, making the doors beep before opening, granting them access. While he inhaled, searching for a familiar scent, he kept pace with the nurse.
“Alright, if you’ll come in here and put a gown on, I’ll ask that you wash your hands if you’re going to be handling the child.” Dark eyes stared at him and then Wyck. Usually, humans were nervous or awed by them, but she didn’t seem to be either.
Arynn grabbed one of the paper like gowns, handing one to Wyck with a grimace. After washing their hands under the watchful gaze of the nurse, he slid his arms through the gown, feeling a bit out of place as he stood there waiting for his child to be brought to him. Minutes seemed like hours before Susan walked in holding a tiny bundle with a pink beanie on her head. Blue eyes stared back at him, eyes just like his only cloudy.
“Have a seat, Arynn,” Susan instructed him.
He bit his tongue to keep from telling her to go fuck herself. Instead, he held his hands out. Susan was tall for a woman, but he was a good six inches taller even with her in the heels. “I’ve got this, Susan.” She didn’t fight him as he slipped the child from her, pulling the tiny thing against his chest. His own heart stopped and started as he realized how tiny the baby was. “She’s so little.”
“She’s of perfectly normal weight for a full-term baby at just over seven pounds two ounces.” Susan sounded offended on the child’s behalf.
“I’m sure that’s true, but she can fit in one of my palms.” He looked up and over at Wyck, not even bothering to keep the tears from falling.
“She looks just like you, brother,” Wyck said, one big finger ran down her cheek.
“Alright, other than looking like you, she’s just like Sarah and the rest of us. See for yourself, boy,” Susan snarled, her words were low and held a hint of anger.
Realizing the woman knew more than she should, he inhaled, knowing he’d smell a baby wolf, only he smelled nothing but—human. Putting his nose closer, nuzzling Rebel’s neck, he sniffed, taking in her sweet baby scent, a smell he’d always remember, when it hit him. His child was fully human. Oh, she was his, but she hadn’t an ounce of shifter in her. He wanted to howl and run far away from the hospital with Rebel tucked up safely in his arms, but the calculating look in Susan’s eyes let him know she was prepared for just about anything.
“Are you satisfied?” Susan asked.
He shook his head. “No. She’s mine,” he ground out.
Susan nodded. “Nobody’s denying that, but what’s in her best interest is being with her mother and the man she’s married to. Not being shifted from one home to another, calling one man dad and another daddy or whatever. Let her have a chance at a normal life with two parents who’ll love her unconditionally.”
A lump formed in his throat as he stared down at the sleeping child. His child. No way could he give her up just because she wasn’t a shifter like him. “I can’t just walk away as if I didn’t know she existed. She’s flesh of my flesh. My heart beats stronger knowing hers is as well. If anything were to happen to her, my world would end as well.”
“How much will it take to get rid of you?” Susan put her hands on her too thin hips, her designer dress screaming money.
“Lady, you ain’t got enough cash to buy me off.” Rebel stirred, her little lips puckering up.
“She’s ready to be fed, ma’am.” The nurse appeared in the doorway.
“Is Sarah nursing?” Why he asked he had no clue, but the thought of his child being bottle fed had him wishing he’d created this perfect angel with a woman he loved.
“Actually, her sister is doing that for her.”
Arynn stared at Susan then at Rebel. “What the hell?”
“Sarah’s sister Sheila had a child a month ago. She’s nursing and has agreed to nurse both children since Sarah isn’t as strong as Sheila at the moment. Now, let the nurse take Rebel to be fed, you don’t want to deny her what she needs.” The last was said like an accusation.
“I want to see Sarah.” He held up his hand. “Before I decide to leave my child in the hands of a girl who has shown less than stellar choices in life decisions, I want to hear from her.”
The woman he was coming to hate with a passion gave a brief nod then turned on those expensive heels, knowing he’d follow like a good little puppy. She had no clue how close to that description he was. As he followed, he noticed several things. One, there were more men in expensive suits than scrubs, and they all looked as if they were packing a lot more than muscle beneath them. The way they were lingering in the hallways made his wolf snarl inside him. Two, the Barnes were clearly the benefactors, if not the owners, of the hospital. A fact he found out when he walked into Sarah’s room. Not only was it unlike any hospital room he’d ever been in, not that he’d been in many, but he was sure a hospital room wasn’t the size of a hotel suite fit for royalty, nor did one have the amenities he witnessed as they were ushered in. It was nothing like a sterile hospital room once inside. No, Sarah lay on a large bed with expensive looking bedding, appearing as if she’d just woken from a restful nap. A quick inhale let him know she indeed wasn’t his mate. His wolf yawned then retreated to the back of his mind.
“Hello, Sarah. How’re you feeling?” Her mother had said she wasn’t as strong as her sister, but the female lying back looked as if she was ready to go shopping, not like a woman who’d just had a child.
The scent of her arousal spiked as she stared at him, surprising in its intensity given she’d just had a baby. “I’m well, thank you. How’re you, Arynn?”
He wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her but kept his temper in check. “Can you explain to me why you want me to step away from my child and pretend I know nothing of her?”
Sarah folded her hands on the cover in front of her. “It’s not that I want you to pretend we never, you know. I mean, we can’t erase that night. However, I’ve finally got my life back on track where it should be, where it should’ve been. My baby is perfect, and she’ll have the greatest life with me and Daniel. He won’t be able to...move past everything if he has to deal with you every other weekend, and besides, a baby will just put a damper on your lifestyle. She’s nothing like you anyway.”
“How will ole Danny Boy deal with looking at my daughter everyday when she looks just like me?”
Anger lit up the serene face. “He’ll be fine and will love her like his own.”
“I already love her.” The truth rang out before he could stop it.
Sarah laughed. “Oh, you think just because she has blue eyes she looks like you? Newsflash, all babies have blue eyes when they’re born. I can guarantee, within a couple weeks her eyes will be just like mine, a dark brown. As for the dark hair,” she shrugged. “Well, who knows. Babies hair falls out and comes back different all the time as well. If not, she’ll be who she’ll be. At the end of the day, you and I both know she’s best with me and my family. We will love her and treat her the way she needs. A biker with a chip on his shoulder and more tattoos than a roadmap are not what a child needs.”
He thought of the little girl who was fully human and how her life would be turned upside down if he brought her into his world. A world filled with shifters and badass bikers, most of whom were single and crazier than all get out. His shoulders dropped in defeat. The little face of his angel flashed into his mind. “I...if she ever needs me, for any reason, I’ll be here, no questions asked. You ever need anything, anything at all, you have only to call me.” He blinked, feeling the wetness hit his cheeks, uncaring he was showing how much it hurt to walk away.